Denmark bushfire disaster: Four homes confirmed lost as residents heap praise on heroic firefighters

At least four homes have been lost in the bushfire disaster near Denmark but many others have been saved with relieved residents heaping praise on firefighters.

As the firefight moves into its third day, the blaze remains uncontrolled and uncontained after scorching about 2150 hectares.

On Saturday afternoon, a significant breakout on the eastern edge of the fire posed a threat to lives and homes in the Denmark townsite, with residents urged to leave or prepare to defend.

But that threat had eased within a few hours, with the warning level for the townsite downgraded by 8pm.

A cold front is expected to bring some relief — and possibly rain — to the fireground late on Sunday afternoon, but westerly winds are keeping the town of Denmark on alert.

“Winds will be westerly throughout the day and are predicted to get stronger this afternoon ahead of a cold front,” DFES said on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm confirmed that four homes had been destroyed and one other home had been damaged.

Commissioner Klemm said another four structures — “outbuildings, chalets, sheds and the like” — had been lost, with one structure damaged.

Rapid damage assessment teams are continuing to scour the fireground, with owners notified once the property losses or damage are confirmed.

One young couple waiting for news about their home was Ezra Vanmelle and Amy Harrison from William Bay, who spent Saturday night at the Albany evacuation centre.

They woke to see smoke on Friday morning before the situation escalated.

“It looked for a minute like it was going to be OK but then the wind flared up and it started coming towards us fast and we were like ‘nah, we have to go now’,” Mr Vanmelle said.

“When the wind changed and it started coming towards us quickly, we realised we couldn’t wait around any longer. It was a big shock.”

Ms Harrison, who moved to William Bay a month ago, said it was a “terrifying” situation.

“I’ve never lived in the country before. I didn’t know what to do,” he said.

“We saw the flames when we were driving away.”

As of Saturday night, the young couple were not sure whether their home had survived.

“It’s not looking too good right now,” Ms Harrison said.

On Saturday morning, minutes after the bushfire started, Shadforth resident Colin Cook saw the smoke as he was heading home.

Mr Cook lives on Limbourne Road, close to the ignition point.

Told to evacuate by firefighters, he watched the blaze with another neighbour from a higher vantage point on Point Hillier Vista.

“It was obviously going to impact the bottom section of our property down near the creek line. It was then just a question of which way the wind was going to take it,” Mr Cook said.

“It was pretty obvious that the wind was indeed blowing it straight towards us.”

As the fire intensified below them, he did not think he would have a house to return to.

“We sat above the fire for about three hours afterwards and we could just see there were just multi-coloured plumes of smoke and massive flames kicking off the whole time through that three-hour period all around that area,” Mr Cook said.

“We knew our place was absolutely in the line of that.”

Mr Cook has since learned that his three horses survived — and firefighters saved his house.

“Amazingly, they’ve managed to save the house, the garage and the main water tank but everything is melted obviously,” he said.

“Everything else is just a moonscape. It’s gone everywhere around it so they’ve done an amazing job to save it and our neighbour’s place too.

“All of the ones immediately around us, they’ve saved, as far as we can gather.

“Having not experienced one like that before you would struggle to think they could save a property in that.

“It’s a fantastic effort.”

Further south at The Wolery, an ecological community off South Coast Highway, firefighters saved more homes.

There are 16 houses in close proximity at The Wolery, a tight-knit environmentally focused community that was established more than 40 years ago.

Barb Piercey lives at The Wolery with her husband, two children and two grandchildren.

When she evacuated the area the plumes of black smoke were starting to glow red.

“It was massive,” she said.

Her husband was one of the residents who stayed to defend the community alongside firefighters.

A DFES map of the active fireground gives an insight into the incredible efforts to save all 16 homes.

“By all accounts it was very scary but they were helped by an amazing group of volunteers, lots of fire units, plus bulldozers.

“The fire was on the Wollery but all of the houses are accounted for, so that was amazing.”

More than 120 firefighters will continue battling the blaze and strengthening containment lines throughout Sunday, bolstered by aerial support.

A 77-member incident management team is guiding the operation from the Shire of Denmark offices.

As of 1.30pm on Sunday, a bushfire emergency warning is in place for people in an area bounded Scotsdale Road to the north, Sunrise Road to the east, South Coast Highway to the south and Freds Road and part of McLeod Road to the west in parts of Shadforth and Scotsdale.

A bushfire watch and act is in place for people in an area bounded by Scotsdale Road to the north, Mount Lindsay Road, Walter Road and Turner Road to the east, the coastline to the south and Kordabup Road, Bastiani Road and Parry Road to the west in parts of Denmark, Shadforth, Scotsdale, Mount Lindesay, Mount Romance, Hay, Parryville, Kordabup and Kentdale.

A bushfire advice is in place for people in an area bounded by McNess Road and part of Nutcracker Road to the north, Denkmark-Mount Barker Road to the east, the coastline to the south, and Lights Road and Walter Road to the west including the townsite of Denmark in parts of Kentdale, Kordabup, Bow Bridge, Parryville, Ocean Beach, Denmark, Shadforth and Scotsdale.

Evacuation centres are open at the Walpole Sport and Recreation Centre and Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre.

Road closures remain at McLeod Road between Scotsdale Road and South Coast Highway, South Coast Highway between Bastiani Road and Sunrise Road, and Scotsdale Road between Happy Valley Road and Walter Road.

William Bay National Park and Mount Lindesay National Park have been closed.

Sections of the Bibbulmum Track, Munda Biddi Track and Walpole Nondalup National Park have also been closed.

The fire started about 9.25am on Friday near the intersection of Bayview Rise and McLeod Road in Shadforth.

For updates, visit Emergency WA.